The Bodyguard
by lemnlime7
Summary: A knight is assigned to Zelda after the Yiga clan sends her a death threat. Will her initial resentment at having a bodyguard give way to a strange affinity for the blonde over time? (A re-imagining of BOTW's prologue)
1. Chapter 1

" _She's a real handful," says the veteran knight before taking a drag from his cigarette. "Six others have already quit the job—said they couldn't put up with her anymore. Sure you think you can handle this?"_

 _The quiet rookie nods his head in affirmation. Protecting others is what he was born to do._

O.O.O.O.O.O

A teenaged woman stands in her castle's courtyard, intently examining a Guardian, a mobile mechanical technology designed for the betterment and advancement of society. She's fascinated by these mysterious devices and her research into them occupies much of her free time. Over her shoulder she sees her father, the king, approaching, wearing his full complement of royal regalia. Her demeanor suddenly does a full 180, lips pursing and gaze becoming vacant.

"Zelda, dear, I'm proud to inform you that we have finally found a replacement knight for you that may meet your strict...erm...standards," he bellows in his typical commanding tone.

Zelda rolls her eyes. He's referring to how she's made every effort to ditch her last six bodyguards by any means necessary. She could only rid herself of the last incredibly tenacious one by "accidentally" slipping a certain herb into his drink which is known to cause horrible stomach pains and diarrhea. In Zelda's mind, however, he had deserved it for not letting her have a moment's privacy. What happened to him was simply a hazard of the job, she reasons.

Zelda's eyes finally fall upon the young man at her father's side who can't possibly be any older than herself. She can't help noting what a handsome devil he is, even if a little on the scrawny side. The way his golden locks shine brilliantly against the sunlight have her mesmerized. He looks directly forward, gaze held high, hands clasped behind his back—a perfect posture if there ever was one.

Of course, this is how they've all looked at first—the very model of military excellence. For being so young and already entrusted with such an important post, she figures he must be a military brat, having lived his whole existence among soldiers and knights. She therefore pegs him as a stickler to the rules whose life revolves around his work. She dreads the thought of any conversation with him, expecting he will only be interested in talking about the latest military techniques and hierarchies and blah, blah, blah.

Without moving his body, he suddenly glances at her. She startles and turns ever-so-slightly red.

 _Hold it together, Zelda. You're the one in charge here, not him. Just because he's cuter than the usual bodyguard doesn't mean you're in any less control than usual._

He offers a hand out to her but she makes no motion to reach for it. Instead, she keeps her arms crossed and expression stoic. Zelda's father shoots her a stern glare. Yet, as with most of his attempts to reprimand his daughter for her rude stubbornness, it's ineffective.

"I would like you to make Link's acquaintance," the king proclaims. "Despite his young age, he is a highly experienced and well-regarded bodyguard. He will accompany you on your upcoming journey to the three springs. Therefore, I hope you will make every effort to become good companions."

Zelda scoffs at this. _"Accompany?" More like "stalk,"_ she muses.

"I told you, father, I don't want or need an escort. I'll be fine on my own."

This prompts him to reach for something in the inside pocket of his robe—a folded paper which he then opens and holds in front of her. Pasted on the page are words of varying sizes which appear to have been clipped from newspapers. Upon reading the message contained within, Zelda gasps in horror.

"This, my dear, is the reason why I must insist that you have a bodyguard. The Yiga clan wants you—dead or alive."

O.O.O.O.O.O

Soon the day arrives. Zelda must pray to the goddess statues at each of Hyrule's three springs in the hope of awakening her sealing power. Her father has long told her that a great and legendary evil known as Calamity Ganon will soon rise up to attempt a coup on their land and that her dormant sealing power is essential to combating this menace. However, as more and more years go by without her power awakening despite all her best efforts, the less faith Zelda has in her father's steadfast belief. She now resents having to spend almost all her waking hours in the fruitless pursuit of this seemingly fictional power. By extension, she also resents those assigned to her protection during such endeavors.

Link is busy saddling up his horse in the castle's stables. Zelda starts doing the same with her own solid white horse.

"You must ride with me," Link states.

"And what if I don't want to?" she retorts.

"I can't allow that. Your safety is my priority. I won't be able to adequately protect you at a distance, even a short one."

 _How touching_ , Zelda muses. "I think I'll take my chances anyway, but thanks," she says sarcastically.

However, as she lifts her leg to the stirrup to mount her steed, he grabs her by the waist, preventing her from moving.

"What do you think you're doing?! Unhand me, you foul cretin!"

"My orders are to do anything necessary to ensure your safety, Your Majesty. That includes restraining you if need be."

Zelda has to admit that he's certainly stronger than he looks. Try as she might, she simply can't loose herself from his iron grip.

"All right, all right, I'll ride with you," she finally concedes. _At least until I get a chance to ditch you_ , she muses gleefully. "And please, just call me Zelda," she adds. _I can't stand it when people use formal titles with me... Stupid traditions..._

O.O.O.O.O.O

Zelda is fully aware that nighttime is her best chance to escape. She pretends to be asleep in the tent until she's sure Link has nodded off. Like any soldier worth his salt, he's learned to sleep lightly and upright with sword clutched in hand, so Zelda knows she'll have to make her getaway with the utmost care to avoid making any traitorous noises.

She tiptoes toward the tent flaps that separate her from freedom, pushes them aside, and steps out into the starry night. She creeps cautiously but swiftly toward the horse tied up to a tree a short distance from the tent and begins mounting it. _Yes! Success!_

Unfortunately, before she can spur the horse on, she feels herself being pulled down from the horse by a very groggy and displeased bodyguard.

"You're not going to pull this stunt every night, are you? Because I could really use a good night's sleep more often," he says through intermittent yawns.

Zelda's anger with being detained causes her to emit a low guttural noise similar to a growl. _Looks like he's going to be one of the harder ones to shake_ , she groans inwardly.

O.O.O.O.O.O

After several mostly uneventful weeks of traveling to the Spring of Courage in the jungles of the southern Faron region and then to the Spring of Power in the northeastern Akkala region along with several towns in between, Zelda starts to wonder why her father had made such a fuss about a potential assassination attempt on her—they haven't even seen a trace of a single Yiga clansmen throughout the entire journey. Sure, there had been a few false alarms here and there, usually attributed to a feisty forest critter coming too close to their camp or shooting out of a bush as they neared, making Link instinctively spring into action and smother her uncomfortably with his body. Despite Zelda continuously devising new ways of leaving him in her dust, all her efforts thus far have failed.

Zelda is taking her usual evening bath in a small pond near their campsite before they turn down for the night. Link keeps his back turned out of respect for her privacy. She makes sure to always stay in deep water in case he tries to sneak a peek at her even though he's never done so to her knowledge.

As is customary, Link scans the surrounding area for any signs of something amiss. From his peripheral vision, he eventually spies the branches of a tree shaking suspiciously and goes to investigate it. He sees nothing out of the ordinary in this tree or any surrounding ones, yet at the base of the tree he finds a banana bunch, of all things.

 _Hmm...why would this be here?_ he ponders. _Don't these things only grow in the rainforest?_

Suddenly, it hits him like a ton of bricks. He recalls the briefing he received on the threat the Yiga clan poses. They are a subset of the Sheikah race who have pledged allegiance to Ganon and taken a vow to destroy anyone who stands against him. Intelligence indicates that Yiga clansmen leave banana bunches at the scene of their crimes as a sort of calling card, a way to taunt the police forces who would like to see them arrested. Therefore, this could mean only one thing...

"Zelda! Run! There are enemies in the area!" he shouts as he sprints to her position.

Seeing nothing out of the ordinary in the vicinity, she responds with a vehement, "No way! I'm not getting out with you looking at me! And what enemies are you talking about, anyway? There's nothing—"

A razor-sharp kunai whizzes past her cheek at just this moment, making Zelda freeze in place. She has a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Link jumps in the water and quickly swims toward her, putting himself between her and the direction the kunai had come from to shield her from further attacks. They hear the sound of more kunais swooshing through the air around them which makes Zelda start to panic. Link, however, has been well-trained for this moment, to ignore the stress of the situation and focus on his objective—a swift and safe escape for both of them. He pushes her toward the shore, urging her to keep her head low so there's less chance she will be hit. They run toward their horse, mount it quickly and make haste into the distance. Link realizes they will have to buy replacement supplies at the next town since they can't afford to return to the scene—the risk is simply too great that another ambush will be waiting for them.

Only once they've covered enough distance and can be sure of not being followed does the awkwardness of their situation finally occur to them. Although the threat of being killed was the initial reason for their frantically beating hearts, it soon becomes apparent that a totally different cause is resulting in the same outcome. Naturally, Zelda hadn't had the chance to grab her clothes as they made their harried escape and the relatively thin fabric of Link's garments does practically nothing to mask the sensation of her every curve pressing against his back.

Link brings the horse to a stop, removes his sky blue champion's tunic and offers it to her without turning his head. She graciously accepts. Although it does little to stop her cheeks from burning red, at least it's long enough to cover her fully, yet she makes a mental note to be extremely careful about not bending over in his presence...

If there's one good thing that can be said to have come out of this whole ordeal, it's that she now has free rein to touch his surprisingly toned chest for the ride's remainder.

 _Hmm...I could get used to this..._

.

A/N: I took that flashback where Zelda gets angry at Link for following her around everywhere and ran with that idea, imagining how they would interact if her personality was like that from the start.

Anything I changed from canon was done purposefully to make the story more interesting IMO. There will be one more chapter after this.


	2. Chapter 2

A few days after the near-disaster at the pond finds Link sitting near a campfire preparing breakfast. His shoulder-length hair is covered by a dark red bandana embroidered with triangle patterns.

"Hey...that looks really good on you," Zelda remarks with a smile after emerging from the tent, dressed in a new riding outfit recently procured from a small village.

"Oh...thanks," he replies, caught a bit off guard by the unexpected compliment. "It's part of the climbing gear set I bought at the last town."

"It was a good purchase, then. It really makes your eyes stand out."

He notices the rather cheerful, almost wistful way she looks at him. She had been giving him a lot of this type of look recently, leaving him to ponder the meaning behind it while he serves them breakfast. Link eventually looks up from his plate of eggs and toast to joke with her. "I appreciate your lack of escape attempts recently. It's definitely helping me sleep better."

"Well, don't get _too_ used to it," Zelda retorts, her usual sarcasm resurfacing. She peers at him from the corner of her eye as she finishes her food. A strange desire to know more about this quiet man pervades her thoughts. _What is_ wrong _with me?_ she wonders. _Why do I suddenly care any about this dumb stalker's personal life, anyway?_

Despite being berated by her inner monologue, Zelda simply can't suppress her burgeoning inquisitiveness. "I'm curious as to what exactly got you into doing bodyguard work at such a young age," she starts. "I mean, it's not like we're at war right now. You could have picked a much less dangerous position in the military, right? I always thought the only people who accepted bodyguard work didn't have much to live for anyway."

Link's wide-eyed expression makes her wonder if she's inadvertently hit the nail on the head—but how could that possibly be? He's so young and full of vitality. He must have had every opportunity in life simply handed to him to be entrusted with guarding a royal at such a young age.

"I guess you could say that." He sighs heavily and stares intently at the campfire before continuing. "I lost my mother at a young age and my father was a heavy drinker. He expected me to train around the clock to be a world-class soldier. He would beat me whenever I didn't perform well enough for his liking and whenever he was drunk...which meant a lot of beatings, believe me. So I jumped at the chance to join the military as soon as I was old enough. I was glad to finally be able to get away from him."

All Zelda can sputter after a lengthy, stunned pause is a weak "oh." She clearly hadn't expected such an answer and even feels a little ashamed by what she had assumed about him. She had him pegged all wrong, thinking he had never faced any real hardships in his life. Now she sees just how far off she was.

"Sorry for unloading all my problems onto you. I know there's no point in telling you about it since the past can't be changed."

"No, no, it's OK," Zelda replies emphatically. "If anything, it's good for me to hear that... I always wanted to follow in my father's footsteps one day and create policies that will improve people's lives. Hearing your story affected me. I won't soon forget it."

Link cracks a smile and laughs lightly. "Well I'm glad there could at least be some good to come out of my crappy childhood."

Zelda returns his smile wholeheartedly. She admires his incredible strength of spirit and ability to take such a horrible experience and turn it into a positive without feeling any apparent bitterness or anger over it. She certainly can't say the same about herself.

"I know the difficulties in my life can't even begin to compare with yours so I apologize if this makes me sound spoiled, but...I wanted to tell you that I at least have some idea of what you've gone through. My mother, who I loved dearly, also died when I was very young. I can barely remember her face anymore, but I do clearly remember how kind she was. She used to tell me all kinds of stories, especially those about great heroes from the past using swords and sorcery to vanquish the evils of the world."

"I'm sorry to hear about her passing," Link consoles. "But at least you still have your father...right?"

"That's...actually a bit complicated," she responds, dejected. "We haven't exactly been on the best of terms in a long while. He often treats me like I'm just some nameless servant and sometimes doesn't even speak a kind word to me for weeks at a time..." Reflecting on the relative triviality of her complaints compared to Link's much more real problems, Zelda hurries to add, "Oh, just look at me unloading all my problems onto _you_ now. How about we change to some other topic? Like...do you have any hobbies? Anything you do in your downtime?"

"Not really. I don't have much time for that...I'm always working."

Zelda contemplates this for a moment. "Then we'll just have to change that, now won't we? I'll make sure that when this assignment is done, you'll be granted a long leave from your duties."

Link perks up at hearing this. "Really? You'd do that for me?"

"Of course. All I have to do is pull a few strings and it's done."

"Hmm...I don't think I'd even know what to do with that much free time," he laments.

After some thought, Zelda makes a suggestion. "Have you ever played croquet? Or what about badminton?"

Link shakes his head. "I've never even heard of those."

"You should try them with me some time! Oh, and how about I show you some card games? Although, in the interest of full disclosure, I must tell you that I play a mean game of Hearts," she chuckles.

Link eagerly nods in acceptance of her offer. It seems they've spoken more to each other in just the past few minutes than they ever have. In fact, Zelda fills the usual silence between them during their horse ride that day with chatter about anything and everything on her mind. Although he's certainly surprised by the emergence of this new, much tamer and friendlier Zelda, he can't say he minds it in the least.

O.O.O.O.O.O

Several days later, the duo arrives in Hateno Village where they purchase supplies for their upcoming excursion to the Spring of Wisdom near Mt. Lanaryu's summit to the north.

Staying at an inn is a rare treat for the two weary travelers so they don't hesitate to book a room for the night at the local hostel. However, the clerk gives them bad news—only a single room is left...and it has only one bed.

Zelda's face immediately turns red at what it would imply if she takes the room. It wouldn't matter if Link slept on the floor at her side like he always does (since, even in the relative safety of an inn, he refuses to ever let down his guard). No, people would inevitably assume something else... After giving it some serious thought, she ultimately decides to take the room, implications be damned. She's far too tired and aching all over to really care what people think anyway.

A folding partition almost tall enough to reach the ceiling divides the room. Zelda turns on a small lamp which illuminates her side of the room, leaving the other side mostly dark. Because of the partition separating them, Link doesn't bother to turn his back while she changes. However, he notes how the lamp is projecting Zelda's silhouette onto the partition, giving him a shadowy glimpse of every last one of her pronounced curves. He swallows hard. Although he knows he should turn away, he can't bring himself to do it. Her beauty is simply stunning...

Zelda soon emerges from behind the partition in her modest sleepwear. He manages to snap out of his stupor before offering her a sheepish smile, feeling a bit too embarrassed to make eye contact with her after what he just spied. He gathers his own sleeping garments and goes behind the partition to change as well.

It's only when he walks around the partition to find the room empty that he gets a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach. _No...she couldn't have..._ he thinks. _I thought she was done with these silly escape attempts by now._

He throws the door open and examines the inn's hallways and exterior frantically but is frustrated to turn up no trace of her. He extends his search farther from the inn, soon noticing that his horse which he left at the ranch uphill is gone—definitely not a good sign. He's almost too ashamed to ask the people he comes across if they saw the princess of Hyrule roaming around on her own at night, knowing that it's like admitting over and over again that he failed at his one and only task. Nevertheless, Link spends hours searching the town and surrounding wilderness for her. He calls her name so loudly that people begin opening windows to scold him.

Finally, he gives up. He realizes that it's time to admit the obvious. He's failed his mission. She could very well be leagues away by now. All that's left for him to do is head back to the castle tomorrow to make his report, that the princess got away from him and her whereabouts are unknown. He can only hope and pray that she will be discovered quickly before anything terrible should come to pass.

He returns to his room, head hanging low in shame. After opening the door, he's alarmed to discover a dimly-lit figure sitting on the edge of the bed in the darkness at the far side of the room. He takes a defensive stance before reaching over to turn on a lamp. He can hardly believe his eyes when he sees who the intruder is—Zelda!

Before he has a chance to register the strangeness of the situation, she lunges at him with arms wide open, enveloping him in a needy hug while resting her head snugly on his shoulder.

After a long pause to collect his bearings, Link asks, "What happened, Zelda? I looked everywhere for you after you disappeared."

She begins crying softly because of guilt associated with the concern lacing his voice. He had been genuinely worried about her. The tears only serve to confound Link.

"I'm so sorry for running away again. I know you probably thought I would never try to do it again and I'm sorry for breaking your trust. All this time I was angry at you and so many other people when, in reality...I'm just mad at myself for being reminded of my failures."

Disappointment colors his expression as his assumption is confirmed—that she had, in fact, run away from him. "Well...why'd you come back, then?"

She lifts her head to look directly at him, eyes glistening with tears. "Because of you, Link. All you've ever done is try to protect me. It was the thought of not seeing you again. I couldn't stop thinking about you the whole time I was riding away from the village. It didn't take long for me to figure out why...it's because I'm in love with you."

She leans in to kiss him with all her heart and soul. To her elation, he returns the kiss with just as much want and tender affection as she's bestowing upon him, if not more.

Tonight, they find that one bed is quite enough, after all...

.

.

.

O.O.O.O.O.O

Several days later, the duo is walking along the path toward Hyrule Castle from Mt. Lanaryu with heads held low. Zelda is incredibly disappointed to discover her sealing power remains dormant even after extensive prayer at the last spring on the frigid mountaintop. It only serves to convince her all the more that she truly possesses no such power.

Then, the unthinkable happens. They witness Hyrule Castle in the distance being consumed with malice from Calamity Ganon. They both get a terrible feeling of fear and dread for what they're bound to find when they return to the castle, no matter how much they would rather deny it. They mount their horse and ride wordlessly down the long path back home.

After much thought, Link finally breaks the silence in a low, somber voice, as if he regrets what he has to say. "I think...it would be much safer if we didn't return to the castle. The likelihood of an ambush waiting for us there is simply too great."

Zelda is outraged at his words. "What are you saying?! I _have_ to go back! I have to see if my father and friends survived. What if they're trapped in the rubble, screaming for help?!" Her words are becoming more and more unintelligible as she breaks down into loud sobs, unable to face the harsh reality of the situation. Internally, she's knows Link is only trying to protect her. She reluctantly acknowledges that the only realistic chance that the castle's inhabitants survived is if they escaped in time to avoid the attack altogether. However, try as she might, she just can't stop clinging to the feeble hope that her friends and caretakers are alive in the rubble and simply awaiting rescue. She knows she won't be able to live with herself if she doesn't at least attempt to look for them.

Link gives off an appearance of inwardly debating something, as if he desperately wants to argue with her, to talk her out of it. Ultimately, though, he decides against it. He replies to her in a calm, measured voice, although one which lacks his usual conviction.

"If that's what you wish."

O.O.O.O.O.O

On their way to the castle proper, they have no choice but to pass through Castle Town...or what little remains of it, to be more precise. Link leads his horse cautiously but quickly through the ruins. He notes how eerily quiet it is and the abundance of places where an enemy could be lying in wait. He maintains full alertness.

As they approach the fountain in front of the Castle's main gate, Link sees movement in the ruins of a building to their left. In the blink of an eye, they find themselves surrounded by at least ten Yiga clansmen, easily identifiable by their tight-fitting uniforms and white masks. Link immediately spurs on his horse to escape this incredibly perilous situation. Unfortunately, a Yiga blademaster with lightning-fast reflexes slashes his sword in their direction first, creating an incredibly powerful gust of wind which knocks them from their mount. The direness of the situation is clear—with no room to escape, they're both really and truly in danger now.

Their foes ready their throwing daggers and prepare to toss them. It's only at this very moment that Zelda has the strangest urge to extend her hand in front of her. By some strange power, it starts glowing in the shape of a golden triangular symbol. From her outstretched hand comes a white beam of light. She discovers that it causes the Yiga clansmen to convulse as if violent pain were being inflicted upon them. They desperately shield themselves with their arms but to no avail. After a few moments, those hit by the light fall to their knees in evident defeat.

However, in the time it takes her to dispatch a few opponents this way, the remaining Yiga clansmen throw several kunai at them. Link makes a quick assessment of the situation—despite his skill in combat, there are simply too many for him to take on all at once. Thus, he decides that his only option is to act defensively. He urges Zelda to keep a low profile as he grabs hold of her to shield her with his body. She never lets up on unleashing the sacred light on their opponents.

Once all their foes have been dispatched, Zelda notices how heavy Link's body suddenly feels pressed against her back. She turns to face him and, as she does so, his body begins to slide to the ground, entirely limp. She slips her hands under his chest to support him as she finishes turning toward him. She notes that his tunic is stained a deep red. Several razor-sharp kunai have pierced his back in various locations.

"No," she whispers in horror and disbelief. After pulling out each of the small knives in one swift, deliberate motion, she turns Link onto his back and cups the side of his face. A raging river of tears begins falling from Zelda's eyes to his pallid cheeks. He doesn't respond to any of her gentle caresses or desperate cries for him to wake up. In fact, she notices the absence of his chest rising and falling with every breath...because he simply isn't breathing at all.

"Don't you dare leave me, Link!" Zelda shouts through the flood of tears. "I still need you! The whole kingdom needs you! You're not going anywhere yet, you hear me?! This isn't how our story's supposed to end!"

Zelda is struck by the thought of just how much she owes to this brave young man, barely more than a boy, who has made the greatest sacrifice one can make for another—exchanging his life for her own. It's a debt she knows she could never possibly repay, but that certainly doesn't mean she shouldn't give it a try.

"I _will_ find a way to save you, Link! And one day, we'll finish this! We won't let Ganon and his goons get the best of us! You can count on that!" Between sobs, she manages to whisper one last plea in his ear. "Please don't forget me, Link...because I could never forget someone like you." She seals the sentiment with a soft kiss before reluctantly taking her focus off him.

Zelda looks around herself frantically for any sign of help nearby. To her relief, she sees a familiar face sprinting out of the castle toward her. _Is that...? Oh, thank goodness, it is!—Impa!_ Zelda's nursemaid and trusted confidant rushes to her side. After exchanging a tearful hug and updating each other on what they know of the current situation, they discuss a plan of action. They decide to place Link in a slumber of restoration using ancient Sheikah technology. Although they still don't fully understand how the technology works, simply put, they have no other option—this is their only hope to help Link recover from his grave wounds. Then, when the time is right, he can be reawakened. They determine that his bravery combined with Zelda's sealing power will finally give them the means to destroy Ganon once and for all, for Zelda knows that wisdom alone can't vanquish power—she also needs courage.

She will just have to bide her time and wait for her hero to awaken...a hero she would wait patiently for no matter how long it takes.


End file.
